‘Tell my mum I love her’: What happened to 21-year-old Bailey Atkinson?

In the chilly early hours of Jan. 28, 2023, the quiet streets of Walsall became the scene of a heartbreaking incident involving 21-year-old Bailey Atkinson.

Bailey was out with a female friend on the evening of Jan. 27, 2023. A car swerved towards them as they walked through Walsall’s market area. Bailey told his friend to run as he fled along High Street. Two stolen vehicles, a Toyota Verso and a Seat Leon, pursued him. The nine occupants of both cars had met up in a supermarket parking lot shortly before, apparently seeking Bailey in retaliation for an alleged assault two months earlier. 

The attackers cornered Bailey near Lower Hall Lane, driving at him repeatedly. Though he initially managed to escape, they caught up with him further along High Street. Six of the occupants exited the vehicles and launched a vicious assault on Bailey, using machetes and other types of blades. Detective Inspector Jim Mahon described the attack, captured on CCTV, as “one of the most horrific pieces of CCTV I’ve ever seen.” In a chilling detail, one of the attackers even attempted to photograph Bailey as he lay bleeding on the ground. 

Despite the swift arrival of police and emergency services, who performed CPR and even open-heart surgery at the scene, Bailey succumbed to his injuries shortly after reaching the hospital. His final words, “Tell my mum I love her,” have become a poignant reminder of the human cost of youth violence.

Did the killers of Bailey Atkinson get arrested?

West Midlands Police launched a thorough investigation, making the first arrests within 72 hours. Three suspects were apprehended at a hotel in Rhyl, North Wales, with others arrested in Worcester, Bloxwich, and Walsall. By Feb. 16, all nine suspects were in custody. The subsequent trial at Nottingham Crown Court lasted 10 weeks, resulting in the conviction of seven out of nine defendants – the highest number of defendants ever convicted of a single murder in the West Midlands.

On May 24, 2024, Mr. Justice James Goss handed down life sentences to the seven convicted murderers at Nottingham Crown Court. The sentences ranged from minimum terms of 18 to 23 years. In his sentencing remarks, Mr. Justice Goss described the attack as “another life needlessly being taken” and noted that Bailey “did nothing at the scene by way of provocation.” Bailey’s mother, Kerry, described her son as “a kind-hearted young man” and “the light of everybody’s life.” The family’s statement, read out in court, urged others to “stop and think” before using knives.

As Walsall and communities across the U.K. grapple with the aftermath of such senseless violence, there is hope that Bailey’s story will inspire meaningful action against rising violence in the U.K. The words “Tell my mum I love her” continue to echo, maybe to inspire change.